About a Boy and a Girl
by burplenurples
Summary: Who would've thought that Draco was not an only child? Exactly. No one did. The same went for Hermione. But everything changes when she has a chance encounter with a small boy in the park one summer day. DMHG. Full summary in Ch1. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the HP elements shown in this story. Kindly _**read**_ and **_review_**. Perhaps it's best that you imagine that the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows did not exist and instead these are the events that took place.

Summary: Who would've thought that Draco was not an only child? Right, no one did. The same went for Hermione. But everything changes when she has a chance encounter with a small boy in the park one summer day. Will Draco and Hermione's affection for the child bring them together or push them further away from each other?

* * *

**About a Boy and a Girl**

Chapter One

_The world seemed bigger to him now that he was alone. Alone. He had never been alone in his life and this frightened him very much. At this point in his life, he was allowed to be scared of a lot of things but this proved to be the most frightening yet._

_He could feel hot tears welling up in his eyes. Desperately, he searched his surroundingss hoping he would catch sight of that one familiar face that gave him much comfort. But it was nowhere to be found. He wandered on, crying out. But no one came to his aid._

_And then the tears started to flow. He grew tired of wiping them away when they would just keep coming and coming._

_Then he sank to the ground pounding the earth, tears still sliding down his face._

_The fear was greatly overwhelming but he could not do anything about it. He was helpless._

_

* * *

_Nothing fueled Hermione's anger more than ignorance. _How much more apathetic could these people get?_ The child was clearly lost and yet, not one soul bothered to help the poor thing. _Well, that's about to change_.

She tentatively abandoned Ginny at the ice cream stand and carefully approached the little boy. She only shook her head thinking how much afraid the small child must be at that moment. Then she cast a glare full of loathing at the people who just looked on as the child continued to wail. _The morals of these people_.

Upon reaching the little boy, she put on her gentlest face and knelt down beside him. She took out her handkerchief and began wiping the tears of the boy's face. "Hey there," she began quietly so as not to get the child more anxious. "Are you lost?" she continued.

Thankfully, the boy's crying was now reduced to sobs as he nodded his head slowly. Hermione stared at the wet face in front of her and thought she recognized an oddly familiar face but could not quite put her finger on whom exactly. Perhaps that was partially the reason why she felt obliged to help him.

Back to more pressing matters, she pushed the thought aside and reserved pondering it for another time. For now, she resolved to return this child to his probably worried parents.

"Do you want me to help you find your Mummy and Daddy?" she asked, not quite certain the kid understood her when he shook his head. Then she opted to try another approach.

She looked directly at him then asked, "Mum-my?" He shook his head. "Dad-dy?" Same response. "Who are you looking for?"

The kid had totally stopped crying now and was able to answer. His voice was small and clear enough for Hermione to comprehend. "Big bwathow."

"Oh, okay," was all she could say. _Big brother. That's why he was not looking for his parents. He must have gone to the park with his brother._

She smiled. "Well, do you want–" But she broke off mid-sentence when she sensed a tapping of her shoulder.

She turned and saw Ginny outstretched arm handing her a pistachio cone. She had completely forgotten about it. "You know, I had to pay for that." Hermione took the cone and gave it to the kid.

"Here, you can have this," she whispered. The boy happily licked the ice cream as Hermione stood up.

Ginny continued, "You know... You worried me... One moment... you were just standing beside me... the next thing I knew... I had to pay for your ice cream... because you vanished... I thought... you left for good... So... who is this kid?" Ginny managed to say all this between licks of her strawberry ice cream.

"This little boy is lost," she replied. As if for recognition, the little boy held on to Hermione's hand and used it to help himself stand up. Ice cream in hand, he warily approached Ginny and turned his now ice cream-covered face to look up at Ginny.

Upon seeing the toddler's face, Ginny crouched down near him. "Such an adorable face." Seeing Ginny's bright smile, the small boy couldn't help but break into a grin that only made Ginny giggle with adoration.

"Do we really need to return him?" she asked, turning now to Hermione, wearing a pout.

"I already have one baby to take care of," she teased then laughed. She bent down and picked him up. To Ginny, "Come on, we have someone's big brother to find," and to the kid, tickling his stomach, "Isn't that right?" The kid's laugh was infectious and as Ginny got up, they all shared a laugh.

As they began to set off in search of the missing boy's brother, Ginny said, "So, what's his name?" as she took a break from entertaining the toddler in Hermione's arms.

Hermione blinked then chuckled to herself. "Funny. I forgot to ask."

Ginny took the chance and cooed to the small boy while she played with his hands. "Hey, little buddy. My name's Ginny and this is He-Hermi..."

"Hermi? Ginny, what are you...?"

"Hermione, you're name's too long. It would be difficult for him to remember that. Hermi's fine. Ginny, Hermi. See? It's easier." Ginny chuckled. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Her-mi," the toddler said, giggling after. Hermione flashed him a smile.

Ginny, back to the child, "So what's your name?"

He seemed to be a very smart kid and it was evident through his slow but smart reply. "My name is Erin Malfoy."

Hermione stopped in her tracks. She swallowed hard. Both girls wore surprised expressions as they looked at each other.

Then it struck Hermione. The uncanny familiarity upon first glance. She stared at Erin's face for an instant and that confirmed it. Erin was like a small-scale version of the arrogant pureblood fanatic, only made endearing and nicer.

Ginny appeared to voice out the thoughts going around her head. "But how could someone so adorable and sweet and innocent be a member of that wretched family?" Ginny remarked with what sounded like regret in her voice. It was like the time she found out her crush, the fit guy who works at Flourish and Blotts, was not exactly a straight lad. So much regret for her part.

"It might be one of nature's miracles," Hermione said. "They just cannot be explained sometimes."

"More like nature's _catastrophes_." Ginny sighed and they proceeded with their search.

Perhaps, knowledge of the boy's name was indeed going to be of good use. After all, who did not know the Malfoys?

They roamed around the park and found out, from recent inquiries from random people, that the said Malfoy was still in the park.

Erin had fallen asleep now. No surprise there. They had been seeking out his brother for 2 hours nonstop. The girls were growing tired too. The park bench under a tree seemed to be enough of a refuge for them.

"Where the hell is that damn ferret boy?!" Ginny exclaimed, aggravated now due to the heat and weariness.

"Shh. Quiet down, Ginny. You might wake him up," cautioned Hermione. But Erin slept on; unaware of what was to happen while he remained in his peaceful slumber.

"We've been searching for hours now, Hermione. Still, nothing. We might as well return him when school starts."

From Ginny's tone, it appeared she wanted to give up now. It was not like her at all. But then, she did have other things on her plate today. She and Harry had scheduled a date for today, Harry's birthday, and they wanted to celebrate it together. Ten minutes had passed since the set rendezvous time.

"You can go with Harry now, Ginny. It's really okay with me. This was unexpected and you had made commitments. If you go now, you can make it only fifteen minutes late. I'm sure Harry will understand if you explain." At that Ginny got up from the bench and faced Hermione.

"Thank you so much, Hermione. You are such a considerate friend. Are you sure you can manage?" Hermione nodded. "Well..." She sighed. "I'll be off then. Bye." With a quick smile she turned and walked away.

"Wait!" Hermione carefully stood up to make sure Erin wasn't disturbed and walked to Ginny. She took out a wrapped package from her bag and handed it to Ginny. "Give this to Harry and greet him 'Happy Birthday' for me."

Ginny nodded and after waving goodbye to each other, they both set off in different directions.

* * *

Draco's scowl was getting more profound with each passing moment that he still isn't with his brother. He currently abhors the person he had entrusted him to. His instructions were very simple: Keep an eye on Erin while he buys _her_ some soda.

Returning to the group, he found her reading a magazine while the tyke was nowhere in sight. He had wandered off and she had not even taken notice of it.

Draco threw the can to the ground with the exclamation, "Damn it, Pansy!" He then walked off to begin his search for his lost brother. Pansy, suddenly taking in the present situation, hurried along to keep up with him.

As Pansy jogged along beside him, he shot her a burning glare. "If anything happens to him, I will have no hesitation killing you. Remember that." His voice rang with ferocity, not caring whether he had hurt her feelings.

Two hours of probing and his efforts were still fruitless. That is until he saw the sleeping head of the younger Malfoy draped on a woman's shoulder. _A kidnapping, of course_.

With stealth, he advanced on the lady then grabbed her roughly by the arm and turned her to come face-to-face with him. He heard her gasp.

"What do you think...?" But he never finished that sentence. Instead, he started a new one. "Granger, what are you doing with my brother?"

Draco, standing a good eight inches higher than Hermione, gave her a look that would have scared the hell out of anyone. But _this_ was Hermione he was talking to. One of the _very_ few people who did not show even the slightest fear of him.

* * *

Hermione's reaction was quick. He took Erin's sleeping form from her with the most mildness the situation could provide and handed him to Draco. Draco took him from Hermione and positioned him the way he was just moments before.

"I am simply returning him to you. Now that that's done. I'll be going." Hermione wanted this meeting with Draco to be as quick as possible. From past experiences, run-ins with him never ended nicely.

Luckily, she was able to escape without causing a scene.

And as she walked alone now, she thought, _Bye, Erin._

_

* * *

_Draco stared at Hermione's retreating form. _Thank you_, he thought, rather wishing that he could have said that to her. But he did not. Of course, his pride did not allow him to.

Pansy stood by him, brows furrowed. She messes up and the Mudblood saves the day. That wasn't how things were supposed to happen. Maybe now, she would look even worse to Draco. She was not about to leave things that way.

As Draco turned to leave, he buried his head in Erin's hair, taking advantage of Erin's state, he whispered, "Why'd it have to be her?"


	2. Chapter 2

**About a Boy and a Girl**

Chapter Two

Anxious to escape the summer sun, Hermione took the shortest route home. Walking by the small shops and a church, her thoughts could not help straying to the little boy with the blond hair and gray eyes.

She dawned on what, until moments ago, she deemed inconceivable. _Since when did Malfoy have a brother? What's more, a brother _sixteen _years his junior at most. What had his parents been doing while he was at school?_ She shook away that unpleasant thought and tried not to make a mental picture of it.

_Or maybe, the kid's not theirs? Adopted? _After a brief consideration of this theory, it was discarded. _No. Quite impossible. How many Malfoys are left in the world? All the trademarks are there. White blonde hair, striking stormy gray eyes. No doubt part of the clan. He is just as handsome as his brother._

Just then, her train of thought took a sudden halt. The last thought was unexpected and she grimaced at the possible implications.

The facts were these: (_1)_ She thought that at a very young age, Erin, the toddler from the park, was already showing signs of having exceptional good looks when he grows up; (_2_) Erin was practically a carbon copy of his older brother, Draco Malfoy; (_3_) Putting the first two items together, there is a subtle suggestion that Hermione Granger rather believes Draco Malfoy to have some degree of attractiveness to her.

She let out a sigh then a small smile crawled on her face. So she was developing a teensy crush on him. She wouldn't be the first one either. The Slytherin Prince had gathered quite a number of admirers over the years. A Draco Malfoy fan club is even in operation and membership is open for anyone ready to profess their love for the boy. Their number one goal: make sure Draco will remain happy. But Draco seems intent on not having them reach that goal although he has sometimes used this advantage to get some favors for himself.

But unlike these other girls who swoon upon him and simply blurt out their undying devotion to Malfoy, Hermione wasn't even sure she would want anyone to know about what she feels. Maybe she'll just let it pass and forget about it. However, if the secret does find its way out, it's only a crush, right?

Yeah. Right.

* * *

Hermione was in front of the building where she and her parents' flat is. Arriving inside, she ran into Ciara, a friend of hers who lives one floor down from their two-bedroom apartment, and exchanged a couple of quick greetings before parting ways.

Hermione took the lift and pressed the number 4. Hermione and her parents lived on the fourth floor with Crookshanks. It made a modest home for the three of them who hardly even spend much time in it. But it was home for them.

Finally arriving on her floor, Hermione got off the lift and went to the second door to the right. She opened it and flicked the lights on.

Empty.

_Of course it's empty._ She thought. And it will be again in a couple of minutes.

"Well, I better get ready," she told herself, looking at her watch which now read 3:26 pm. She proceeded to her room to leave her things and get undressed. Wrapped in a towel, she went into the bathroom to cool herself off with a cold shower.

The bath was refreshing. Just what she needed to battle the heat outside. She only hoped the coolness would last long enough until she gets to her destination.

Five minutes passed. She did not want to end the shower of cold droplets on her body but she knew time warranted her to.

Back in her room, she donned a netted pink chiff racer top over a black slim racer and wide-legged shorts and wedge sandals with pink and black rectangles on it. She finished off with styling her hair into a messy bun.

She circled the apartment, picking up things to bring and she concluded in her room, packing things she might need for the long night ahead. She double-checked the contents of her bag and found out she forgot one important item.

She went to her bedside table and opened the cabinet. A solitary object sat there. She retrieved it and put it in the bag with the rest of her things. Now, she was sure she was ready to go.

As she exited her room, the phone began to ring. She picked it up on the second ring and instantly recognized the voice the moment it spoke.

"Hello?"

"Hello? Hermione?"

"Yes, speaking. Hey, Harry. Happy Birthday!" she said.

"Yeah, thanks," Harry began on the other line. "And speaking of that, would you really not be able to come to the bash?"

"I'm sorry, Harry. I really can't. You know the circumstances. I swore I'd stay this afternoon until tomorrow morning," she answered, apologetic.

There was a pause on the other end. "Okay." Harry sounded upset. Hermione understood. She'd feel the same if he, her best friend, wouldn't be able to come to her birthday. But Harry also understood. He was very understanding and considerate. "Okay. I understand. It's okay. I have other birthdays." He laughed genuinely. "So, you're spending the night?"

"Yes."

"Be careful. And tell him Harry said 'Hi.'" Harry suddenly fell quiet then, "I have to go now. Ron's here." Hermione was about to say goodbye and put the phone down but Harry said a follow-up. "And I almost forgot. Thanks for the new Quidditch gloves. I love them."

Hermione smiled even though Harry couldn't see it. "No problem... So bye, then. I'll be on my way too. Be seeing you."

"Bye." And the line went dead.

She opened the door and left.

* * *

He opened the door and entered.

Little Erin was still asleep in his arms when they arrived at Malfoy manor. _Kid must be exhausted_. He took him up to Erin's room.

Once he had him laid on the bed, he whispered, "I'm sorry I left you with Pansy. That was real dim of me. Don't worry. I won't be making that mistake again."

He got out and went to his room. He went to his bed and collapsed face-down on it. He remained like that for some time, bracing himself for what he was about to do.

Then there was a knock on the door.

* * *

Here she was now. She hated thinking about this place, more so going inside it. But she knew she had to. She loved him so much and being with him would bring joy to the both of them.

She went in and sought out the room. Of course this was no difficult feat for her since she had been in and out of this place for some days now. When she found the exact room, she went to it and knocked a couple of times before opening it a few inches and peering in.

She smiled at him on the bed and entered completely to go and sit on the edge of the bed.

* * *

Draco felt an extra weight on the bed. He scowled at the mattress. _I didn't permit her to come in._

He did not even bother to look up and acknowledge her presence. Her presence was unwanted. He wished she would just get out and never come back. But he knew that wouldn't be happening anytime soon unless he did something about it. And he will.

Then he felt a hand rubbing his back, as if trying to soothe him. The effect, though, was exactly the opposite. _How dare she lay a hand on me?_ And that pushed him on the edge. He wanted her out. And quickly.

Abruptly, he got up from his bed and stood in front of her. His imposing figure was enough to send chills through anyone in her position. He fixed upon her a hate-filled glare and she stared back. "I don't want you here," he hissed.

It was obvious that she was taken aback by his sudden movement and harsh words. She was struggling to get her bearings back.

"Do you think you can just barge in here like that? No! Mother and father are not here to give you any royal treatment. There's only me and don't expect I'll act any differently. You are unwelcome. LEAVE!" Although he said all this very forcefully, she remained unfazed and tried to remain calm.

And when she spoke, it was with complete composure. "I'm trying to sort things out between us and I don't have high hopes you'll be cooperating with me. So I'm trying very hard here. I know you don't want anything to do with me but you'll just have to put up with me because I'm not giving up on you and I don't really see any way out of this–"

"I _will_ find a way out of this hell. My life _will not _be ruined if I can help it. I _will_ set my own future and you are definitely not in the picture." Draco was straining himself from grabbing her and throwing her out the door.

She felt pretty wounded. His words were sharp and they hurt. She knew she was unwelcome but she didn't expect him to throw it smack onto her face. That hurt more. He knew how to hurt people. Draco really hated her whole being and it seemed there is nothing she could do about it.

"Just go." His voice became subdued but when she was still rooted to the spot, his loud voice seemed to reverberate throughout the whole house.

* * *

Hermione held his hand and kissed it.

* * *

"LEAVE, PANSY!"

* * *

"Hey, Dad."

* * *

Pansy got off the bed and stood in front of Draco, looking him eye-to-eye. "As long as I think you need me, I am sticking around. I _am_ tougher than you give me credit for."

She turned to leave and when she was almost at the door, she heard Draco scoff. She stopped to listen to what he had to say. "If you're _sticking_ to what you've said, you should have been gone by now. Hell, you should've been gone from the beginning. I _never_ needed you." Bitter words.

Draco heard the door slam and wondered whether that woke Erin.

* * *

"Oh, I brought you some of your favorite truffles. They're dark chocolate." This brought a big smile on Hermione's father.

"My guilty pleasures," he remarked, laughing weakly.

"You know, Dad, you might lose your patients when they find out you're a die hard chocolate lover." Hermione watched as her Dad devoured a truffle.

"You mind your own business." He chuckled. "Why don't you just wake up your mother so she could go home. Tell her her shift's over."

Her mother was in a recliner, forehead in hand, asleep. She gently shook her awake. "Mom? Mom?" It took a few tries before she fully opened her eyes and when she did, she gave her daughter a peck on the forehead.

"You're here." She stood up a bit slowly and gathered her things, getting ready to leave for work in their dental clinic. "I'll be going now. I have an appointment at 4:30. So, Hermione, dear, are you all settled in?" Hermione nodded curtly to prevent further delay. "So I'll be returning tomorrow morning," she said, putting on her watch.

She approached her husband and daughter and gave them each a kiss on the forehead as she said, "Bye."

In unison, Hermione and Mr. Granger bade her farewell.

Hermione admired her mother. She was such a strong woman. She never seemed rattled by anything at all. Her mother told her once, "There's a balance to everything. You just have to find where it is." Hermione wanted to be like her mother.

These have been trying times for their family. Four days ago, her father was rushed to the hospital when he had a heart attack one night. He had to stay in the hospital for a week under observation. For the past couple of days, she and her mother have been taking shifts looking after her father. It was fine for her. It was summer.

But her mother amazed her. Even after staying at the hospital for 12 long hours, she still manages to work straight hours at the dental clinic, having very little sleep. Maybe, she felt obliged now that Mr. Granger wouldn't be able to work for a while. The family still needed money.

Hermione had been thinking about getting a summer job herself. To ease the tension on the finances even a bit. She flashed on a conversation she had with her mother about it.

"_Maybe, I should get a job. Even for just the summer. I want to help out." Hermione had seen the hospital bills that morning and wondered how all this was getting paid for._

"_You don't need to worry about that, honey. It's not something you should be minding. It's summer. You should be having fun with your friends." Her mother was getting ready to go to the hospital and they were in her parents' room._

"_Mom, please. Let me help. I can always hang out with my friends in school. There will be plenty of time for that."_

"_Suit yourself. But don't blame me for taking the fun out of your vacation." She looked at Hermione and motioned her to come to her. She hugged her tightly and told her. "I'm sorry that you have to be worried by all this."_

"_Mom, it's fine. It really is. I want to worry. I want to help."_

"_I'm so lucky to have you," her mother whispered._

She was snapped out of this reverie by her father. "What are you thinking about there?"

Hermione now took her mother's place on the recliner. She must have been staring at the window with glazed eyes.

She turned to her father. "I've been thinking about this whole situation here."

"I feel so ashamed for bringing this onto our family." It was now her father looking out the window wearing a heartbreaking look.

"Dad, trials like these strengthen people. This is a test. And we shall pass," she encouraged.

Hermione was glad she was able to bring back her father's smile. "Like you do every other test." She returned his smile and nodded in agreement.

* * *

Nighttime. She rummaged through her bag and got something which appeared like a battered spring notebook. It was unusually thick. It looked like leaves have been constantly added to it when space ran out.

What would Hermione do right now if she'd actually forgotten her diary? She seldom missed an entry and she wasn't going to miss out today. It had become habitual that she write every night.

She began writing.

Noticing this, her father asked, "Is that your old diary?"

Without looking up she answered, "Yes."

"You've had that for 5 years. Anything interesting happened today?"

"Just met this lost boy in the park. That's it. The days aren't much interesting."

Not yet.

* * *

So, what do you think about Chapter Two? Voice out your thoughts by reviewing this chapter. It will be very much appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**About a Boy and a Girl**

Chapter Three

"Okay, Dad. Welcome home." Three more days in the hospital and Hermione's father was stable enough to check out. Hermione escorted him home. Her mother was out in the clinic that morning.

"I missed this couch," her Dad said, flopping down on the sofa and switching on the television. "Do we have any chocolate truffles left?"

"Let me check," Hermione called out from the kitchen. She drank down the rest of the water and placed the glass on the sink. She opened the fridge only to discover they were out of truffles. "Sorry, Dad. We're all out. I'll try to phone Mom to pick up some on her way home."

She moved to the living to call her Mom. But then, she heard a tapping noise coming from her bedroom. Cautiously opening her bedroom door, she found an eagle owl eagerly tapping the window. She opened the window and the owl flew in and perched on a nearby chair. It held out a leg for Hermione to take a letter from.

The writing on the letter was very elegant and neat. She had seen it before but not very often. The letter read:

_HM,_

_I would like to treat you to a thank you dinner. I'll be calling at 10 am about the details._

_-DM_

The owl took off after she gave it a treat. Then she shut the window.

_DM?_ she thought, as she proceeded to make the delayed phone call. "DM," she said to herself, she could only think of one person and at that moment, she wised she knew someone else with those initials.

After making the call to her mother, she did not put the receiver back. She retreated to her room where she would spend the rest of the morning.

* * *

9:57 am. Mr. Granger was out in the kitchen fixing him a bologna sandwich.

9:59 am. Mr. Granger was returning to the living when he noticed the upturned phone. He chuckled at his daughter's forgetfulness as he replaced the phone. Loud enough for Hermione to hear him, he said, "Hermione, dear, I think you left the phone hanging."

Hermione was lying on his stomach reading "Wuthering Heights." She scrambled off the bed.

10:00 am. The phone started to ring.

Hermione rushed out of her room to find the ringing had stopped and her Dad talking on the phone. "Dad, wait!" But she was too late.

"Ah, here she is." Her father ended his conversation and was passing the phone to Hermione. She took the phone hesitantly and pressed it to her chest. "It's a lad named Draco Malfoy. I thought it might be Harry or Ronald." Her father left her to face the person on the phone.

_This is all Dad's fault_, she thought grudgingly as she stared at the back of her father's head.

She put the phone to her ear and spoke, hoping her voice wouldn't mirror her heart which was beating quite fast. "H-Hello?" she stuttered. _So much for controlling yourself_.

"Granger." That confirmed it. There is no mistaking that drawling voice. "I presume you received my letter."

"Yes." It was all Hermione could manage as she accustomed herself to hearing that voice on the phone.

Malfoy started talking again. "So, I'll be expecting–"

"Where are you calling from?" Hermione herself was surprised by her question. It seems she was subconsciously trying to delay talking about the dinner.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't suppose you have a phone at your house seeing as you belong to a wizard family and all."

"Uh. No. I'm calling from a thing called a payphone," he replied. Hermione heard shuffling from the other line.

"He-yow," a little voice said on the phone. Hermione's spirits lit up.

"So you're in Muggle London with Erin just to make a phone call." Hermione's voice sounded a bit mocking.

"Just taking precautions in case the owl was intercepted."

"Intercepted? Isn't that a bit paranoid?"

"Yes. Yes, it is. But I don't care."

"And phones can be bugged too. Did you know that?" Silence on the other end. _Well, now you do. _She sighed away from the receiver. "So why is it that you called again?" Hermione mentally kicked herself. _What in the world are you saying?_

From the sound of it, Hermione might have pushed it too far. She heard Draco click his tongue in annoyance. "I'll be expecting you tomorrow at my house. 11:30."

"W-Wait a minute. Aren't you going to ask me if I agree to all this?"

"Why? Are you going to refuse my invitation? Because if you will, you better say so now." He sounded extremely irritated now.

"I didn't say anything like that. I just think you assumed too much when you didn't ask me what I think."

"Fine then," he said. "Will you be going or not?"

Intent not to anger him any further, she replied, "I'll... go."

"Okay. Goodbye." He hung up.

_That was rude_, she thought.

* * *

To her utter dismay and bewilderment, her parents were ecstatic when she told them about the lunch while they had supper.

"It would be nice to see you dating again after Ronald broke up with you," her mother said.

"Mom, it's _not_ a date. He's just thanking me for something I did for him. And for the record, _I_ broke up with Ron," she retorted.

"Maybe he's just using that as an excuse to get to you. A guy tactic. That's what it is." She looked at her mother. The expressions they wore were completely contrasting – her mother's face was lit with excitement while hers was painted with disgust.

"Who is this Malfoy boy? How come I don't know him? Is he a decent kid?" Her father joined in with a barrage of questions.

"Look, Dad. You have absolutely nothing to worry about. I am not dating him. I can't even say we're friends. Him and I? We're like oil and water. So that's that. Case closed. Period," she ended the topic with a huff.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione woke up early. It was only 6 am. With five and a half hours until her lunch meeting (she wasn't using the word "date" at all costs), she decided to spend that time doing what she normally does and being the first one up, she opted to make breakfast – blueberry pancakes with a fresh cup of coffee.

Her mother entered the small kitchen just as she poured the last cup of hot coffee. "You're up early." And seeing the table lain with breakfast, she added, "And you made breakfast."

"I need a distraction. I don't want to think about later until I really have to," she explained.

"While you're at it, maybe you could pick up the laundry from the cleaner's after breakfast?" Mrs. Granger ventured.

"Of course. Why not?"

Hermione scurried around, doing random, distracting tasks until 10 am. When the time came, she knew she had to prepare herself.

After a ten-minute bath, she took on the challenge of picking out her outfit. _I wish I did this last night_.

Much fitting and throwing later, she settled on a bright yellow dress cinched with a black chunky belt and black ballet shoes for her feet.

Standing in front of the full-length mirror, she charmed her hair to straighten out. She scrutinized herself in front of the mirror. _Let's just get this over with_.

She tried in vain to sneak out of the house. However, her mother spotted her just as she came out of her room. "Let me have a look." She examined Hermione at arm's length before turning her around to get a better look. "Oh, I love it. He'll surely be drooling over you."

Rolling her eyes, she freed herself from her mother's hold and said, "Quit it, Mom. Goodbye." Hermione left but not before giving her mother a quick peck on the cheek,

As soon as she was in range, she Apparated to the Malfoy manor. Within seconds, she was standing before a great gate and was staring up at an ancient house. "Amazing," she whispered to herself.

She considered the house enormous for the family of four. But what could she expect from their lavish lifestyle?

Although the house was old, it still possessed some of its beauty during its early years. Hermione could not wait to see the inside.

The gates opened on their own accord and she stepped through to the great oak doors. Before she could even lift the knocker, the door opened. She looked down and saw a house elf.

"Ms. Granger, Misty will now take you to where Young Master Malfoy will be expecting you," the house elf said in her hoarse voice.

The elf led her through a series of hallways. From what little she had seen as they traversed the massive house, it was just as beautiful and elegant as the outside. Family portraits, antique furniture, ancient relics. Everything blended perfectly with each other. And then she remembered the bright yellow outfit she was wearing. Her modern style did not fit in with the olden design of the place. She stuck out like a Pygmy Puff amongst a herd of unicorns.

The dining area was at the back of the mansion, overlooking a vast garden filled with a variety of flowers and a small pond. There was a long oak table at the center of the room. The elf sat her to the right of the seat of the head of household. She looked ahead and noticed a wooden high chair from across her.

The elf spoke for the second time. "The Young Masters will be with you in a moment." Misty the house elf went away to a door just off the dining area to what Hermione could only assume to be the kitchen.

Hermione waited in the dining room, occupying herself with the intricate workings of the room and the wonderful arrangement of the flowers. Only when Draco entered with little Erin tagging along was Hermione able to take her eyes off the surroundings.

Draco carried Erin to the high chair then took the head seat. "'Morning," Draco greeted, nodding curtly to Hermione.

"Yes. Good morning."

"Her-mi!" Erin squealed and Hermione's attention was caught by the toddler frantically waving at her. She sneaked a quick wave back with a big smile.

"I am really grateful you came." Draco was making an effort to start a conversation.

"Really?" She sounded very incredulous.

"Yes, of course. I am surprised you doubt my sincerity."

Hermione swallowed and she was pretty sure it could be heard over the profound silence following that statement. "I-I don't know. I-I'm sorry. I just thought of it now. I realized how much risk I'm taking every second I'm still here. I mean, if your parents find out-"

"Mother and father are not in the country. They're visiting a friend in Germany. And I _do not_ have any ulterior motive when I invited you here. Sorry if I disappointed you. But I do understand that thinking of yours. Mother and father wouldn't exactly be thrilled with seeing you here. Especially mother when she sees you on her seat."

"I don't really know if I should feel better with that."

"I think you should."

At that, a different house elf entered carrying a tray with two bowls of steaming soup. He placed a bowl each in front of Hermione and Draco. Hermione took a sip. It tasted marvelous.

"So why _exactly_ did you invite me to your house instead of some garish restaurant? I'm pretty sure what I did wasn't important enough to give me this privilege," she asked after taking a few sips.

Draco dreaded that this question would come up. But he had prepared his answer. He only hoped that it would be enough to sate her curiosity. "We have some wonderful house elves here who can cook better than any fancy restaurant."

"And?" Hermione looked at him.

_Of course it's not enough_. "Nobody would be looking after Erin."

"And?"

"And what?" He took a swig of butterbeer.

"I think there's one more thing I _need_ to know."

"And how'd you figure that out?"

Hermione was eager to show him her logic. "First of all, never would you use wonderful and house elf in one sentence except in instances where you would say 'house elves are _not_ wonderful'. Secondly, of course, you could always bring Erin out with you. I doubt that you would want to be alone with me anywhere. So having Erin there might perhaps help you avoid any direct interaction with me whatsoever. And so that leads me to a simple yet revealing conclusion."

"Enlighten me," Draco replied lifelessly.

"It is clear that you plainly do not want to be seen in public with someone like me, a Muggle-born and a Gryffindor." Hermione looked at Draco and he was actually smiling but in a wicked way. She smiled at her own ingenuity.

Draco snapped his fingers and pointed at her and then said, "Bingo." He leaned back on his chair then continued, "You know, maybe we _can_ be friends. We're both very clever. Maybe we could get along just fine." He suddenly inclined and extended a hand toward Hermione. "Draco Malfoy."

Hermione laughed at this but took his hand. "Hermione Granger." They shook hands.

Draco grabbed his butterbeer and raised it. "Cheers to my new friend, Hermione Granger."

Hermione grabbed hers and raised it too. "To Draco Malfoy." And at that, they toasted to what will be the beginning of a very unconventional friendship.

* * *

So that's Chapter Three. Chapter Four will be following quite soon. But for the meantime, tell me what you think about this chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

**About a Boy and a Girl**

Chapter Four

During those first few minutes that the two had declared themselves friends, they talked about the most random things and discovered that maybe there _is_ a way to this whole friendship business. They found that they had more things in common than they originally thought.

When the main dish was served they lessened the chat but did not completely end it. "Oh, no," Hermione said quietly, failing to answer Draco's question then. She was looking at the plate containing the chili garlic shrimp with a side of mixed vegetables.

Draco looked at her. "You don't like spicy food?" he asked.

She looked up from the shrimp to look at him. "I'm allergic to shrimp."

"Well, we can't have you eating that." He summoned Misty into the room and asked her to prepare something else without any shrimp in it. He paused for a moment and consulted Hermione. "Any more things you're allergic to?"

She shook her head. He returned talking to the house elf who retrieved the platters once she had received her instructions. "I'm sorry about that," Hermione said when the elf had gone.

"No need to apologize. It's not your fault you swell up because of shrimp-based food. Meanwhile, why don't we go out to the garden while the food's prepared? We have about half an hour before we eat." Draco helped her out of her seat then carried Erin out of the high chair. They exited through a back door leading to the garden.

The garden was much lovelier when one actually sees it. The flowers of varied colors swayed together with the wind and there was the fresh scent of grass and earth. Although the sun was high up, the wind kept everything cool.

They strolled the garden on a stone pathway. They walked in silence, except for Erin's occasional giggles as he marveled at the wonderful colors of the flowers, before Hermione decided to break it.

"Who takes care of Erin when you're not around?" she asked, looking at the stones she was stepping on.

"Mother does, I suppose. At least that's what she tells me. But I don't trust her sincerely with Erin here. She's too busy tending to Father's needs to notice anybody else who might need her attention. That really bothered me when I had to leave for school, not sure whether he's being taken cared of properly or not."

"So you raised him?" Hermione was amazed by how responsible a big brother he was to Erin.

"I guess so. I taught him almost everything he knows. Whenever I'm at home, I spend most of the time with him, filling in for what his parents lacked, and that was almost everything. He seldom sees mother and father, I'm told by the house elves. That's the main reason I questioned Mother." To Hermione, Draco was a different person now. She had never seen this side of Draco and never realized it even existed.

He wasn't the conceited Slytherin Prince now; today he was just a teenager who feels he is burdened by a responsibility that wasn't even supposed to be his.

"Don't get me wrong here, though. I'm not complaining. Not at all. I love being able to spend time with my younger brother but sometimes, I feel I'm missing out on my life," he admitted.

"Do you ever go out nowadays?" she asked, looking at him with concern, something she never did before. Hermione empathized with him. She rather knew what that felt like during the time she had to spend hours and hours by her father's side and her social life was at a standstill.

"No. Not so much. I can't really trust anyone with him," replied Draco.

"What if you really had to leave? What do you do then?" It was clear that all Hermione wanted to do was offer help and she was probing her mind for a possible solution.

"I do the only thing I can do. I have to take him with me. That's the only way I'd feel assured. But people don't like it when your attention is diverted from them by a one-year old. I have to keep a constant eye on him to make sure he doesn't get into trouble and people find that displeasing. They don't understand how difficult things are for me," said Draco. From the looks of it, he was really troubled by his situation.

Erin was getting uneasy in his arms and was wiggling his way out. Draco put him down while Hermione held Erin's hand, slowing her walk so that Erin could keep pace.

They stopped inside the gazebo and went to the railing with the clear view of the small pond. Hermione watched the water lilies float on the water's surface as she debated whether or not she should push her idea forward and present it to Draco as a possible option.

And her decision was this:

Both of them were quietly staring at the pond when Hermione abruptly spoke. "I have a proposition." She picked up Erin and precariously seated him on the railing. There was a tense moment for Draco as he watched but loosened up when he saw Hermione had a firm hold on him. He leaned back on the railing and faced her.

"Go on," he said.

"Why don't you let me watch Erin sometimes? I don't have much to do this summer so that gives me a lot of free time," she started and then looked at Draco. When it seemed he wasn't about to say anything, she continued, "But to make it rather impersonal so that it wouldn't be treated as a favor, I would consider myself as a hired babysitter."

"Hired? So that means I'd have to pay you," he finally said.

Until now, she hadn't thought about money matters. Then she thought about her family's current financial status. She _did_ need the money but her initial intention was just to help him. It would have been different if she were actually applying for the job. "Not necessarily."

"But it would be more impersonal to me if I pay you for your work," he commented. He cast a glance at Erin and then at Hermione. "Do you think your idea will work?"

"Yes, I do," she answered firmly.

"Then you're hired. You'll start tomorrow," said Draco, sounding all business-like.

"Really?" Hermione wasn't entirely certain her idea would be accepted that easily. Did Draco really trust her that much? They had just become 'friends' that day and he was entrusting her with his most precious little brother.

"You should know that your skepticism gets annoying." He was his old stuck-up self again. "Haven't I said it already? You start tomorrow. I have to meet with some... _people_." The way he said the last word sparked Hermione's curiosity but thought it best, from experience, not to ask. "So tomorrow. Is 30 Galleons enough?"

"Thirty Galleons for a week? That's more than enough," said Hermione. She was confused when he looked at her like she said something ridiculous.

"A week? A day, you mean. This child is definitely no ordinary child. And I will make sure that the person who handles him will get paid well but taking into consideration, of course, that she does her duty well," he said, the tone of his voice never changed. Talking to him now was more similar to a business transaction.

"Don't worry. You will not be disappointed with me," she said in the same manner as possible, making sure he feels that she is serious about this.

He nodded curtly. "I'm glad to hear that."

After arranging that she come to the manor the next day at 9:00 am, they went back inside to have lunch. There was no problem with the grilled salmon now. They ate solemnly and for a moment, they appeared like a young family sharing a meal.

Following lunch, they stayed in the living room, continuing to converse while Erin played with his enchanted toy cars. They enjoyed each other's company so much that Hermione ended up staying well into the afternoon.

By the time she looked at her watch, it was already 4:30 pm. They were now on the floor playing with Erin. As she slowly got up, Draco followed her with his eyes and followed suit.

"I need to go. I've extended my stay long enough," she said.

And for some unknown reason at the moment, Draco felt sad that Hermione would be leaving. "Wouldn't you like to stay for dinner?"

Hermione smiled. "I appreciate the offer but I've stayed long enough." She was now walking towards the doors. Draco and Erin went with her. "Thank you. Really. I _actually _had a very great day. So I'll be seeing you tomorrow."

_Yes, tomorrow. I'm seeing her tomorrow._ And he felt lighter knowing that. "I'll be seeing you." He opened the door and the three of them went outside.

Taking slow steps backwards towards the gate, she said, "Thank you, Draco."

Draco nodded toward her. "You take care, Hermione."

She was at the gate now. She was looking a little lower than Draco. She waved then called out, "Bye, Erin!" And Draco was pretty sure she looked one final time at him before exiting the manor completely.

The older and younger of the Malfoy children watched as Hermione left. _We'd be seeing her again_. _Soon._ And that brought a small smile and, oddly, reassurance to Draco.

* * *

The next day, Hermione arrived at the manor fifteen minutes early. She was excited that she would be spending a day with the adorable and loveable Erin.

She waited patiently in the living room. Erin came racing down from a hallway and upon noticing her, hurriedly went to her and gave her his biggest hug. She hoisted him up to sit him on her lap. Erin was flapping his arms wildly, showing how happy he was for seeing her again.

Draco came upon this scene in the living room. "Great. You're here," he said, fixing his sleeve. "I'll be off in a few."

"Aren't you going to give me any rules and regulations? Do's and don'ts? A list of things?" she asked simultaneously.

Draco scoffed. "Rules and regulations? This isn't some sort of facility. Do whatever you think will make him happy. I think I can trust you with that. And _please_ keep him out of harm."

"Any allergies? Favorite food? Favorite toy?" she continued the list of questions. She was keen on not messing this up.

"He's allergic to nuts. As to food, he'll eat about anything." He ruffled Erin's hair. "He is a growing boy. Favorite toy? He doesn't seem to have one. But he does have a favorite book." Draco used a summoning charm to retrieve it from Erin's room. He handed it to Hermione.

Hermione stared at him in disbelief. "_Kids' Wizard Almanac_? Isn't this a bit too advanced for someone his age. Then immediately after asking the question, a thought hit her. _The kid _is_ advanced for his age_.

"He's no ordinary kid, I'll tell you. Very smart," Draco said proudly. "I've taught him how to read some words. And he is fascinated by the pictures."

Hermione turned to Erin. "Looks like you might grow smarter than I am." Erin laughed and the two teens joined in.

Now to Draco, she ventured, "May I take him out?"

He considered this for a brief moment before replying, "I suppose it will be alright. Safety and fun is important. But if you will be going out, I want you to take this with you." He reached inside his pocket and took out a silver… cellphone? "It will make me breathe easier, knowing it is you I'm talking to."

She turned it over a few times in her hand. This phone was the latest model on display and it costs hundreds of pounds. As she marveled at the object in her hand, she was unaware that Draco had taken another item from his pocket. This time, it was a metallic green cellphone.

"You bought two?" she said upon seeing it.

"How else would I be able to contact that? I've expected that you would not like to be cooped up in a place like this so I took some measures. You should always have that with you. I'll be checking up on the both of you every once in a while. The person had my number programmed on quick dial." He pointed to the number 1 on the phone Hermione was holding.

The laughter that came after his last statement baffled him. "It's called _speed _dial."

"Well, whatever. You and your silly Muggle contraptions." He stuck the phone back to his pocket. "Never give your number or mine to anyone." She nodded. "And some money to spend for the day." She nodded again as she took the money and put it in a secure place in her bag. Then he looked at his watch. "Right then, I'd best be off."

The three of them left the manor and stopped just outside of the gate. Draco approached them and kissed the top of Erin's head. Erin looked up at Draco. "See you, bugger." Hermione had never seen such a sweet gesture from Draco and never thought him quite capable of one. Perhaps this was something normal to both of them but out-of-the-ordinary for anyone else witnessing it.

Then Draco faced Hermione who was looking at him expectantly. "Later, Hermione." Draco surprised himself. The use of her first name sounded almost natural, like he had been doing it for years.

Hermione also shared his reaction but prevented it from showing on her facial expression. She just returned it with an equally natural sounding, "Later, Draco." He nodded at her.

With a loud crack, he vanished before them. Hermione looked at Erin. "Let's not waste any time." And with that, they Apparated to Diagon Alley.

It was a bright day and being that it was summer, Diagon Alley was packed with people going about their work or simply having a nice day out. The sight of people going about excited Erin very much and Hermione thought Draco must not bring him to such public places. Well, he's with Hermione today and she was determined to make this day the toddler's most enjoyable one yet.

Their first stop was Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. Hermione, Harry and Ron had been frequenters of the shop during the summer and they have made a good friend out of Mr. Fortescue.

When Hermione entered, she was warmly welcomed by the store owner. "Aah, Hermione. I haven't seen you in a while," Mr. Fortescue said, leaving his post behind the counter.

"I couldn't really find the time recently, Uncle Florean," she said.

And, of course, old Mr. Fortescue didn't fail to notice the child in Hermione's arms. He looked at Erin and stroked his chin with a finger. "And who is this little tyke?"

"He's a friend's brother. I'm watching him for... uh... him. His name's Erin," she replied. She didn't want him to hear the response Erin once gave her.

"Does Erin want an ice cream sundae?" Uncle Florean was face-to-face with Erin and was grinning widely. Erin gave a slow nod. "Well then, I better get to work." He went back behind the counter and set himself to preparing the order.

"No nuts, Uncle Florean!" Hermione called out to him as they wove their way around the tables and chairs to have a seat at the back of the ice cream shop.

"And what will you be having, Hermione, dear?" he now asked.

"Just a caramel sundae." She sat Erin on the high chair she had summoned. While they waited for their ice cream, Hermione heard a peculiar tune. It sounded like the opening theme to Star Wars. Only then did she realize the sound was emanating from her bag. She hurriedly opened it and answered the call.

"It's about time," said the voice.

"Sorry. Hey, I had no idea you were a Star Wars fan." A giggle followed.

"There's still a lot you don't know about me. Anyway, where are you right now?" he asked.

"We're in Diagon Alley about to enjoy a couple of sundaes." Their order arrived. Draco heard a faint "Thank you" coming from the other line.

"That's good." Then he suddenly sounded in a hurry. "I'll call you later." Hermione wasn't even able to say anything else before he hung up.

"Your brother is still an enigma to me," she told Erin though she was sure he had no idea what she meant.

They took to eating their delectable treats. Seeing Erin's ice cream-covered face brought amusement to Hermione. She grabbed a napkin and wiped off the mess. After finishing, they went to the cashier to make the payment.

Mr. Fortescue refused to accept Hermione's money. He wore his gentle smile and said, "Keep your money. It's just a little something for my new friend here and also a welcoming gift. Just promise you'll drop by again."

"Will do, Uncle. Say 'Thank you,' Erin," she urged him.

In his small voice, he said slowly, "Thank you."

Mr. Fortescue shook Erin's little hand. "You're very welcome, young man."

"We're going now. Say 'Goodbye.'"

Waving his hand at Uncle Florean, he said a high-pitched "G-bye!"

After making a few stops at the toy shop to make some purchases, Hermione took Erin back to the park where they first met. They went to the part where there was a big playground. When Hermione put him down near the slide, he didn't leave her to go play on the swings or the sandbox. It turns out he wasn't used to socializing with other kids. This was probably the closest he has gone to kids about his age. Hermione decided to help him overcome his shyness.

They walked over to the sandbox where a redheaded little girl was playing alone. She looked to be about two and a half years old. Erin sat across her in the sand. Hermione crouched behind him. "Hi! What's your name?" she asked the little girl.

"My name is April." Then she pointed to Erin who was playing with the sand in front of him. "Who's he?"

"Him? His name is Erin. Would you play with him? It's his first time here," she requested. April moved toward Erin and took his hand.

After she said 'Hi' and introduced herself, she said, "Come on. I'll introduce you to my friends." She started to pull him in the direction of the other children. As he worked his tiny legs to where he was being pulled, he looked back longingly at Hermione who remained crouched by the sandbox. She gave him an encouraging smile and sat on a bench where she was sure Erin would easily spot her.

With April's help, Erin was meeting the other children. Then he started to play with them, screaming as they ran around the playground. The smile never left her face as she followed Erin with her eyes. There was sheer joy on his face. And it was there as she watched that she found herself wishing she had a younger sibling.

She remembered asking her mother once when she was young why she didn't have a brother or sister like her other friends did. At that time, her mother only explained that she wasn't capable of doing that anymore.

It was only when she got old enough that she learned the full story. Her mother had two other pregnancies after she was born. Unfortunately, both resulted into a miscarriage. Consultation with a doctor told them that her mother suffered from uterine cervical incompetence, premature and painless dilation of the cervix leading to spontaneous or, quite possibly, habitual abortion. Her parents were devastated. They couldn't give Hermione a playmate.

"You're a miracle to us. We're lucky to have you," her mother often told her when she was little and she did not know its meaning was quite literal.

And that's what made her fond of little kids. She loved being around her young cousins, nieces and nephews. She felt like a big sister to them and they were the little siblings she never had.

Hermione hated to end Erin's enjoyment but it was almost lunchtime. She beckoned to him, "Come on, Erin. It's time to say goodbye to your friends." Erin looked at her and pouted.

Hesitantly, he made rounds around the playground and said goodbyes to his newfound friends. That done, he ran towards Hermione. She took his small hand in hers. Erin kept looking back. "You'll see them again. Don't worry," she reassured him. Erin started hopping between steps.

The pair had arrived in Muggle London. Erin had grown tired of walking and asked Hermione to carry him. When they entered the Granger family's flat, the radio was blaring and the aroma of butter reached their nostrils.

Mrs. Granger had the afternoon shift and she was available to prepare lunch. "Hey, Mom," Hermione greeted as she entered the small kitchen. Her mother didn't look up from her cooking as she returned the greeting.

Hermione took a seat and sat Erin on her lap. "Do you mind if my friend here stayed for lunch?"

This time, Mrs. Granger looked around. "Who?" Her eyes widened at the sight of the toddler on Hermione's lap. She approached them and picked up Erin. "Hermione, could you attend to that for a while?" Hermione stood up and started stirring the buttered broccoli and baby corn. "Is this the kid you're babysitting?"

"Yes. He's Erin. That's Draco Malfoy's brother so be careful with him," she cautioned.

"I will. I'm good at this. I never dropped you when you were a baby... unlike your Father," her mother commented then cooed over Erin.

"What's this I hear about me?" Hermione's father entered the kitchen. He smelled of soap and Hermione assumed he had just taken a bath. "And who's this little guy?"

"Dear, meet Erin Malfoy. Hermione's his babysitter. He'll be staying with us for lunch," her mother replied. Hermione was busy placing the vegetables on a plate.

Mr. Granger just nodded. "So when's lunch going to be served?"

"The roast beef is not ready yet. Give it a half hour." She turned to Hermione. "Here you go. Go take him to the living or something," she said, giving him back to Hermione.

Hermione left the kitchen for the living room. Sitting of the sofa, Hermione took out the _Kids' Wizard Almanac_ and began reading it to him. He listened intently and learned the words fast. Fifteen minutes into studying and looking at pictures, the now familiar Star Wars theme began playing again.

"Where are you right now?" Draco asked. He was no longer in a hurry. Instead, he sounded winded and somewhat irritated.

"We're at my flat. Are you alright?" she asked now.

"Could I go there?" He didn't answer her question but there was something odd in Draco's voice that vaguely hinted to the answer to her question.

"Uh. Yeah."

"Okay. I'll be there in a moment." He hung up.

* * *

This is the longest chapter yet.

I am overflowing with ideas for the upcoming chapters and I'm excited to write it. But I want to hear what you thing about this. So don't be shy. Leave a review.


	5. Chapter 5

**About a Boy and a Girl**

Chapter Five

The doorbell rang. Hermione left Erin to her father for the meantime while she went to fetch her visitor from the building's main entrance. Draco was leaning on a wall when she opened the door. She motioned for him to follow her inside.

Hermione's couldn't help but watch Draco's reaction when he entered the apartment complex. It was typical of him to find something worth criticizing in a place below what he established as standard. All the time, though, he was looking at the floor as they took the path to Hermione's flat. Apparently, he was in deep thought. So deep, in fact, he almost didn't notice when Hermione stopped in front of a door and opened it.

"Over here," she said, snapping him back to the present and gesturing inside. "Make yourself comfortable." He took off his coat and hung it on the rack beside the door. That was when Hermione recognized a handkerchief wrapped around his hand that had rep spots on it.

He followed Hermione to the living room. "Good afternoon, sir," he greeted Mr. Granger formally.

"Dad, Draco. Draco, Dad," Hermione said, sitting down on the couch.

Mr. Granger acknowledged him with a curt nod. "Have a seat, boy." He took the seat beside Hermione who was now watching Erin go from one corner of the room to another. Hermione's father was fixed on a football game on the television, only tearing his eyes away for a few seconds to check on what Erin was up to.

He stared at the television, not really seeing the images drifting in front of him. His mind was all tangled from the meeting he had just come from. He sighed deeply, loud enough for everyone in the room to turn and look at him. Hermione did not dismiss it immediately. He looked back into her brown eyes. The look she gave him was a mixture of concern, confusion and curiosity.

She was just about to open her mouth when Mrs. Granger emerged from the kitchen wearing an apron and announced, "Lunch is ready." Hermione got up and had a quick word with her mother.

The two women talked for a short moment, her mother casting swift glances on Draco. The conversation ended with a nod.

Erin and Mr. Granger were already seated on the dinner table but Draco still remained on the couch. Hermione took his arm and pulled him up. "You're staying for lunch. We're having roast beef." The two of them joined the others at the table.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Granger," he greeted with the same robotic tone. She flashed him a motherly smile.

"I'm glad you could join us," she told him.

"It's my honor," he answered politely.

They said their grace then helped themselves to the roast beef and stir fried broccoli and baby corn. While everybody else filled their plates, Hermione noticed that Draco hadn't even picked up his knife and fork. Wanting to be a good host, she picked up his plate and got him the largest slice of roast beef and a heaping serving of vegetables. Draco could only look as she returned the plate, now full of delicious smelling food, back in front of him.

"Eat," she said as she started slicing a piece of her roast beef. "We'll talk later," she continued but this time in a quieter tone." Draco picked up his knife and fork and began devouring his meal.

"So, Draco," Mrs. Granger begun. He looked up at her. Erin was sitting on her lap as she fed him smaller pieces of broccoli. "Where do you go to school?"

He swallowed down the food in his mouth and answered, "At Hogwarts. Same as Hermione."

Mrs. Granger looked at Hermione and said. "You never told us that."

"Well…" She did not know what to say but it didn't matter anymore. Her mother resumed interviewing Draco.

"Are you also in Gryffindor?" she asked, wiping Erin face with a napkin. Draco almost swallowed his broccoli whole at this question. Hermione stopped chewing.

"No. Actually, I'm in…" He hesitated. "Slytherin."

Draco did not expect her reaction. "That's swell, isn't it? I heard Gryffindor and Slytherin were always up against each other. It's a good thing you two were able to rise above the animosity and become friends," she said happily. "Everyone else should follow after you two. Right, Harold?" she said, elbowing Mr. Granger's arm. All Draco could do was nod. Hermione drank some water to hide the onset of a smile.

All the while, Mr. Granger kept silent as the exchange continued before him. But he kept a close eye on Draco, stealing suspicious glances when he had the chance. _Not friends. Hmph. We'll see something about that. He's her boyfriend. Just look at the way they look at each other._ He glared with disgust. He turned his gaze down on his food at once when the lad's eyes lingered on him for some time. He just smiled mechanically when his wife asked him something.

Dinner ended after hours, it seemed for Draco, of interrogation. He felt as though she knew almost everything about him after one sitting. But he liked her. She was a nice and sweet woman, exactly the opposite of his own mother.

Hermione's mother started collecting the empty plates when Hermione suddenly shot up from her chair, stopping her from grabbing her plate. "Why don't you let us do the cleaning up?" she said, taking the short stack of plates and giving them to Draco. "And then you, Dad and Erin should go watch the news or something," she continued, ushering everyone, except Draco, out of the room. Mr. Granger surreptitiously looked at Draco distrustfully.

Once everyone had gone, she told Draco, "Okay. Let's wash some dishes," and began collecting the remainder of the dishes and utensils from the table. They stepped over to the sink. Hermione asked, turning on the faucet, "Have you ever done this before?"

"You're honestly asking me if I've washed dishes before? Come on, Hermione. You're smarter than that," he remarked. It seems some of her mother's overflowing positive energy had managed to find its way into his system. Minor improvement but good all the same.

"Yep. That _is_ right. So I'll do the dishes and questions while you do the talking and explaining. Alright? So let's begin," she said, picking up a plate. "What has you all upset?"

"I think you mean who _and_ what."

"Okay… Who _and_ What made you upset today?"

His voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Just Pansy, the Parkinsons and my _genius parents_." He paused to lean back on the counter beside the sink. "Do you know who my girlfriend is?"

"My guess is Pansy Parkinson," she answered uncertainly, not really knowing where everything was heading.

"Wrong," he said matter-of-factly. He continued in the same manner, "Because I don't have a girlfriend. All _I _have is a bloody _fiancée_!" His voice had grown loud that it worried Hermione a bit that he might have been heard by the others. But the silence in the hallway assured her otherwise.

That revelation was something you wouldn't normally hear from an average seventeen-year-old. But in the wizarding world, pureblood marriages are still in order to preserve the ancient lineage of those at the high end of society, or as they consider themselves to be. Pureblooded wizards rarely married for love. It was more for (a) blood heritage, (b) reputation, (c) power, (d) wealth or (e) all of the above.

"Arranged marriage?" she asked. She actually sounded so let down by this news but she wasn't really sure she should be feeling that way.

Draco's anger was stemming from the recollections of that meeting. "No, it wasn't!" he exclaimed, turning around and slamming his fist on the hard surface of the counter. "It was a _forced_ marriage," he added in a voice that was barely audible.

There was a long and awkward silence as Hermione stopped her questions and proceeded to finish the dishes. She was giving him some time to cool off. She turned off the faucet and got two mugs and placed them on the counter. She put the kettle on the stove. "Tea?" she offered Draco. She did not wait for a response as she poured two cups of tea. She brought them to the island in the middle of the kitchen and pulled out two stools. Draco took one of them.

The hot tea coursed through his body and a welcome calming effect washed over him. Hermione could see the tea lighten his features. She figured it was better to hold a conversation that way – calm and relaxed, opinions and thoughts fueled by clear thought and not raging emotions.

The silence was only temporary. "Are you ready to talk now?" she said slowly.

"Just ask away if you think I am," he replied. Hermione looked inside his mug and discovered he had gulped everything down.

She did not wait long to ask her next question. "Tell me. What happened?"

"I went to the Parkinsons today. I was going to ask them to reconsider calling off the wedding. What I didn't know is that my parents would be there," he started.

_Draco was met by his mother and father at the Parkinsons' enormous receiving room. They had been discussing something in hushed tones when they saw him coming through the door._

_Narcissa approached him with widespread arms and gave him a hug which he had no intention to return. "Draco, darling." She cupped his face between her hands. "How have you been? And Erin? How is he?"_

_He gave her a piercing look. He wasn't about to buy all this crap from her. "Don't feign concern, Mother. No one is watching," he admonished, stepping back to get away from his mother's reach. This remark offended her as shown by the scowl she was giving her son._

_Lucius stepped between them and looked at Draco reprovingly with those cold gray eyes. He drawled, "Aren't you being disrespectful, Draco. That is no way of talking to your mother."_

_Draco kept looking ahead, past his parents' critical stares. "What are you doing here?" he asked through clenched teeth._

"_Someone was kind enough to alarm us about your visit that was probably up to no good. We thought it best to intercept before you go and ruin everything for the family."_

_He scoffed. "Haven't you done enough of that already, Father?" His voice was filled with so much contempt for this man._

_His mother stepped around her husband and slapped Draco hard. He could feel his left cheek stinging after the hand's contact. But his expression went unchanged. Pain was nothing when his mind was set on one thing: getting his own future back._

_Narcissa Malfoy had never lifted a hand on any of her children. But extreme commitment to her beloved husband clouded over her thoughts. The action almost came out of nowhere. Her breathing was fast and labored, her heart pumping blood really fast._

_She grabbed Draco's face and forced him to look at her. "Now you listen! The Parkinsons were more than willing to agree to this bargain. We owe them a lot for that. It's only right that you show some gratitude."_

_Draco yanked off his mother's hand and he felt her long nails scratch his flawless skin. "_I_ should be thankful for this? You mean to say that I should actually be grateful that I am having my life ruined?"_

_Narcissa was holding something back. Lucius took over the explanation._

"Little did I know, we were broke. Father blew out all our money during the war – rewards, bribes, and other vain Death Eater activities. By the end, with the Dark Lord's demise, our wealth went down with him. And I never even knew any of this until today.

"Father told me that the money we've been living on for the past year belonged to the Parkinsons. Father and Mr. Parkinson go back a long time and are very close acquaintances. When Father approached him about this financial turmoil we are in, he never hesitated to help." He breathed deeply. "But that's only because Father did not hesitate about agreeing to a deal Mr. Parkinson had arranged."

"_You traded me for money," he whispered grudgingly. "You've truly become a greedy and selfish man. What kind of a father are you? You're soulless. It will be you who will bring about this family's downfall."_

"_Do you not understand, Draco? This was for the family. Have you no gratitude at all, son." Lucius sounded very arrogant._

"_Why would they want their only daughter to marry somebody penniless like me?" he asked sharply._

"_She wants you. They only want their daughter's happiness," his father said._

"_Good for her. Her parents want her to be happy, my parents want me otherwise." He wanted to pummel his father into the ground and punch him until he breathed his last breath._

_Lucius raised his voice. "What do you want to do? Marry a Mudblood and have filthy little half-breeds?"_

_A knot was forming in Draco's throat. His hand was clenching into such a tight fist that his knuckles were turning white. He stepped past Lucius and stared at the large mirror behind him. His father's back was reflected upon it. With a deep breath and his anger flaring, he threw a powerful punch at it. Glass flew everywhere. Draco looked at his hand. Shards of glass sliced through his skin making it bleed and creating some deep gashes._

_As Narcissa stared disbelievingly at what her son had done, Lucius remained indifferent. He had witnessed many times Draco's uncanny displays of rage. To him, this was no different._

"_Draco!" a high-pitched voice screamed from above. It was loud enough for Pansy to hear it from the upstairs and she was now scrambling to get to the injured Draco. Sensing this, Draco knew he had to flee. He doesn't need any of this. Perhaps he'll come back some other time when conditions were better._

_As he was leaving, he felt his mother's hand on his shoulder. A show of concern? He shrugged it off and hurried off to the door to escape his parents and Pansy. The door closed behind him with a thud and left Pansy staring after him through the opacity of the barrier between them._

_He Apparated to Diagon Alley and stayed at a dark alley. His hand was still bleeding and he went to do something about it. He used his wand to remove the glass shards and wrapped his white handkerchief around it to stop the flow of blood. It would have to do for the moment._

_He rested his head on the wall of the alley. Then he fumbled inside his pocket and took out his cellphone._

His story ended there. Hermione's brows were furrowed as she listened. She didn't say anything immediately. Instead, she took his injured hand and took off the handkerchief that was, as she now knew, covered with blood. It was not a pleasant sight.

"Why didn't you heal it with a spell?" she asked, still looking at the wounds.

"I want to remember what I did today," he answered, looking at Hermione as she examined his hand.

"You should've at least cleaned it." She left him in the kitchen and returned a bit later carrying a first-aid kit. She started cleaning the cuts. She stole a quick glance at his face and noticed he doesn't even wince once. He just watched her as she dabbed disinfectant on the wounds. As she continued, she decided to ask, "So what are you planning to do now?"

He sounded sure. "I'm going to ask Professor Dumbledore for a scholarship. I want to continue my studies without owing any more debts to the Parkinsons." Draco wasn't the type of person who would ask for help unless he was really desperate. And for him, this was a desperate situation. "I'll give back to the school after I graduate."

"That's a great idea," she said, really meaning it. "But what about the other things like food and shelter?"

"I don't need to worry about those things. The house is still ours and so are the house elves. We just have to live more frugally and I think I need to find a job," Draco said seriously. This was a drastic lifestyle change. He continued, "And I don't think I can pay you 30 Galleons for babysitting Erin. I don't have that anymore." He sounded ashamed.

"You know, I don't mind at all. You shouldn't even be paying me. I presented myself to babysit for Erin so it's more of a volunteer thing." Hermione was now bandaging his hand. "And mom told me Mr. Kennedy from the bookshop downtown called. I got the afternoon shift. So it's all great. And I can still look after Erin during the mornings."

Draco took his hand and examined Hermione's work. He started flexing it. "Can you help me find a job?"

"Of course, I can!" she replied enthusiastically. Then she continued, her tone uncertain, "There's just the matter of if anyone will accept you."

"Convince them," he said. "Please."

"I'll do what I can."

* * *

Draco and Erin ended up staying for supper after Mrs. Granger's insistence. They left at eight in the evening and Erin was getting really sleepy by that time.

Hermione went with them outside the building. She was just about to say goodbye when she was taken aback by Draco. Draco hugged her despite Erin being between the two of them. He felt Hermione's body suddenly go rigid and he couldn't help but smile at this. "Thank you," he whispered. When he let go of her, he laughed at Hermione's expression. Her face was blank, as if she had just been Petrified. She was still speechless. He laughed. "You're welcome?" Still no response. "Bye."

Hermione nodded.

* * *

I know it took some time to put this up but here it is. Tell me what you think.


	6. Chapter 6

**About a Boy and a Girl**

Chapter Six

_The next day..._

"Please?" she pleaded.

"No," he answered defiantly.

"Please?" she tried again.

"No."

"Just for the summer. Please?" she said, making her voice sweeter.

"I already told you. No. I'm going to lose my business if I have someone like him working around here. I know I'm being biased though I haven't met him but you know how things are, Hermione." Mr. Fortescue ran into Hermione that morning as he went to his ice cream parlour for business that day. From the street to inside the shop, she kept badgering and reasoning with him about giving Draco a job in his shop. She even went on to explain Draco's current situation to him, hoping to get more sympathy from him.

"Come on, Uncle Florean. Don't be silly. He'll be a great help around here. He'll make everything easier." Mr. Fortescue was trying to ignore her as he took out his wand and set up the tables and chairs. Hermione crossed her arms and watched him go around the shop. "You seemed to be fond of his brother."

Mr. Fortescue stopped what he was doing to absorb what Hermione had just said. Then he shook his head. "Yes. But you never told me about that before."

"So you'd refuse to give him ice cream if I told you he was a Malfoy?" she asked rhetorically. Uncle Florean mumbled something inaudible. "Stop being so prejudiced, Uncle. Some of the purebloods are bad enough. Give him more credit. He's not what you think he is. And besides, I wouldn't be vying for him if his character was so unlikeable." Mr. Fortescue still said nothing. Hermione was beginning to worry about whether she was getting to him. "Blame me if anything goes wrong."

He now turned to her, his face looking defeated. He let out a loud sigh. "It's unusual for me to question your judgment but really, Hermione, how long have you known the lad? I haven't even seen you with him once."

Hermione bit her lower lip. Her argument is getting weaker. What would be her defense now? "I've known him for six years but I've been getting to know him for this past week only." Mr. Fortescue started to turn his back on her. "Wait, wait. I gave him a chance because I knew there's a part of him I'm not seeing well from where I stood before. And I'm glad I took the chance too because he's such a nice guy and he's not as twisted as everyone labels him to be. So if you'd do the same, I know it would mean so much to him and it would make you happy knowing you helped somebody out. And maybe he'll be better if he knows people trust him."

Mr. Fortescue gave out a deep sigh. He considered it very well. He decided at last. "Fine. I'll give him a try. But I'll only have him working in the back. I'm still not comfortable about my customers seeing him around here, much more serving them. And I _will_ blame you if anything should go wrong."

Hermione lips broke out into a huge smile. "Excellent!" she exclaimed. She approached him and gave him a hug. He patted her back. "Thank you, thank you, _thank you_! I knew I could count on you." She let go of him, still continuing to smile. "And let's just keep this to ourselves, please. He wants to be discreet about this." He nodded curtly. "Well, I better go and bring the good news." She walked to the door and before closing it completely, told him, "Thanks again."

He returned it with a smile.

Hermione decided to pop in at the manor. After clearing that the Master and Mistress of the house were out, Misty the house elf led her to Draco's room on the third floor of the house. It was behind one of the numerous doors of the mansion. After the muted "Enter" from the other side, Misty opened the door for her.

The room was almost as large as her family's flat. A king-sized bed with green and silver sheets sat against one wall. Opposite the bed was a crammed bookshelf that reached up to the ceiling. A couch sat in front of it. There was a walk-in closet and his private bathroom. Draco was sitting in front of an antique desk littered with discarded parchment. He appeared to be writing a letter.

"Hey," she greeted, going inside the room and closing the door behind her.

"Hey," he returned, putting down his quill and leaning back on his chair. Hermione went to where he was seated.

"Where's Erin?" she asked.

Draco suddenly jerked forward and looked frantically around the room. "He was just here." He stood to look out in the hallway.

"Wait." Hermione heard a weak sound coming from somewhere inside the room. Draco strained to listen and he heard it too. They followed the sound to the closet. She opened the double doors and was amused at finding Erin laughing among Draco's scattered clothes on the floor. They couldn't suppress their laughter at the sight of Erin. He had on a pair of mismatched shoes – the left foot of Draco's sneakers and also the left foot of Draco's school shoes. He was also wearing one leg of his brother's jeans and a black coat. And to top it off, a baseball cap. Everything was way too big for him and he stumbled as he walked towards them, laughing infectiously.

"I have to get my camera." Draco left her side then returned with a camera. He snapped a pictured of Erin with his huge smile. He looked at Hermione. "You two."

"What?" she asked, previously preoccupied with watching Erin as he posed for the camera.

"I want to get a picture of you with Erin." He pushed Hermione besides Erin. He moved back and looked into the viewfinder. "Smile." His finger stopped just on top of the shutter release button.

Draco was transfixed by Hermione's face, especially her perfectly sweet and innocent smile. That left him wondering how he learned to hate her then. He could see now that she made a good and reliable friend unlike Crabbe and Goyle who he did not even treat as acquaintances but only mere pests. Maybe that was part of the reason he hated Potter and the Weasel so much – he did not have someone like Hermione as their best friend. He realized how much he must've missed throughout the years, not even bothering to get to know her. He was busy forcing himself to hate her every being. And who knew? Perhaps, if things had turned out different, they would even make a good couple.

_What the...? Where'd that come from?_ he thought. Is it that he's beginning to fall for this simple Muggle-born from London? The answer: Yes.

"Hello?" came Hermione. "Could you hurry up please? My cheeks are starting to hurt."

Draco was pulled out of his trance. He'd have to think about that later. "Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry." He took the picture then gave them the thumbs up.

Hermione went over to him and held out her hand for the camera. "Your turn." Draco, being unresponsive for some reason unknown to her, just looked down at the camera he was holding. Hermione grabbed the camera from him, dragged him beside Erin and pushed him down so he knelt beside his brother. Hermione was puzzled by Draco. What happened?

In an effort to remove the glazed look from his face, she clapped her hands once in front of his face. That seemed to do the trick. He blinked then shook his head. He mumbled, "I'm sorry." He looked up and Hermione was staring at him quizzically. All of a sudden, he lunged forward to take another baseball cap off the floor. He slung his arm around Erin's little shoulders and said, "Ready."

Hermione dismissed the moment of weirdness and stood in front of the pair to take the picture. Erin was reaching up for Draco's cap so Draco took it and placed it on top of the one he was already wearing. He posed along with Erin, doing an upside-down peace sign as he sneered into the camera. "Nice," she commented.

Hermione returned the camera to Draco and began tidying up. Erin did his part by carrying as much clothes as his short arms could carry. He brought them to Hermione who then cast spells to fold them neatly then levitated them to the shelves. Draco took care of those Erin left on the floor. His closet was all organized and tidy in no time.

They left the closet and went back to Draco's room. Draco sat on the edge of his bed. He took Erin and raised him as high as his arms allowed him to. The little boy squealed as he was repeatedly thrown up into the air. Hermione smiled as she walked past this to the desk Draco once occupied. She had her eyes on the framed pictures which sat on top of it. She looked at each one of them and instantly recognized something. They were either pictures of Draco – his first time on a broom, school photo; Erin – as a newborn, a portrait recently taken perhaps; or both of them. None featured their mother and father. Not surprising. He didn't like seeing them so why'd he put even a representation of them somewhere he probably treated as his refuge.

Then the papers on top of his desk entered her view. She read some parts of it. Each of them begun with "Dear Professor Dumbledore" but the preliminary contents was all different. She picked up one of the unfinished letters then showed it to Draco. "For the scholarship?" Draco was still playing with Erin but looked at her and nodded. "Have you finished anything yet?"

"No. I haven't got around to getting the words right." At that, Draco stopped Erin's makeshift ride and carried him along to Hermione. He took the letter. "But I'm hoping to finish it today so it could be considered early." He transferred Erin to Hermione's arms then sat down again in front of his desk.

Erin touched Hermione's face and said, "Mum-my" She laughed. Who did he mean?

"I think he means your mother. He's been saying that since after we left your house. They've made such a connection I guess."

"You want to see Mummy?" she cooed to Erin. Erin clapped delightedly. "Later, okay?" Erin clapped again.

"So what brought you here today?" Draco asked, still facing his letter.

"I got you a job this morning." She took out a chocolate bar from her bag and broke it into pieces to be fed to Erin.

"Really? That was fast. Where is it?"

"At Fortescue's," she replied, getting shy all of a sudden.

"The ice cream parlour?" Hermione slapped herself mentally. Draco was surely going to snap at her for that, getting him such a lowly job at an ice cream shop. Maybe that wasn't such a good idea at all. She'd just go back to Mr. Fortescue and withdraw what she said. Just when she was ready to hear his complaints, he said, "That's just fine. Thank you. When do I start?"

"Monday. Same day I start at the bookshop." She paused. "You'll be working fulltime so Erin will be staying with me about until the late afternoon. So there's some conflict there. But I've though about it and since my mother only works until one in the afternoon, she can take over watching over him."

Draco swiveled around so he was facing her. "That's asking too much from you."

She smiled at him and his heart fluttered. "I knew you were going to say that. But you're not actually asking too much because you never asked for it. I gave it to you. So do me a favor and accept."

"Your logic is really something, huh?" he said. "But okay. I'll accept. Thanks. I'll make it up to you."

"Do you think the money's going to be enough? I mean, it's just a basic salary. Do you think you two will sustain?"

"I'll just have to spend wisely. And if the scholarship gets approved, all I have to do is earn money for books and school supplies and some of Erin's things."

Hermione was thinking. "How about Erin? Where will he go when you go back to Hogwarts?"

There was a long pause before Draco answered her. "I-I'm sending him to... to Germany to stay with Mother and Father. They won't be coming back home anytime soon."

"Oh." She was sad that Erin would have to put up with them. But they _are_ his parents. She had no right to object to their guardianship of their son. She asked, "Why won't they be coming back?"

"They're in hiding. They keep transferring from country to country, trying to outrun the law. I don't want to join them."

"I'm not sure if I'm in any position to ask this but why them?"

Draco did not look her straight in the face. He looked down on the floor instead, his hands together. "I-I have no choice..." he trailed off.

Hermione decided it was time to change the subject. The atmosphere was getting a bit gloomy. "Say, isn't Erin's birthday tomorrow?"

Draco looked up and Hermione's smile was reaching out to him. He leaned back on his chair. "That's right."

"Any thoughts on the celebration?" she asked, getting excited now.

"Nothing special. Just a home dinner." He was obviously sad. If they still had money, he'd throw him a celebration and buy him loads of presents but that wasn't possible now.

"A home dinner? Seriously. He's a kid." Hermione touched noses with Erin. "He needs a party." She talked to Erin now. "You want a party?"

"Yes!" he answered quickly.

"See? And I know the perfect place to throw it. But I'm guessing you'll want only a few people there so..." She began counting on her fingers. "It'll just be me, you, Erin, Mom and Dad. Five people. I'm sure Mom will be thrilled."

"How many things do you have to give me?" he asked, laughing and shaking his head.

Hermione laughed. "You'll never know. We just became friends."

* * *

The following day, Erin's second birthday, Draco, carrying the birthday boy, appeared at the Grangers' door at about six-thirty in the evening. Mrs. Granger answered the door and gave both boys a peck on the cheek. "Happy birthday!" she told Erin and gave him another kiss on the forehead. "Come in, come in."

She went to knock on Hermione's door. "Hermione, they're here." Mrs. Granger then went out.

Hermione opened the door. "Hey," she greeted. "Happy birthday." She kissed Erin's nose.

"How about the birthday boy's brother?" he said with a sneer.

She patted him lightly on the cheek, smiling playfully. "Maybe next time. When it's your birthday." She laughed. "Now let's go." She grabbed his wrist and pulled him out the door.

"Where are we going?" he asked once they were in the hallway.

"To the party." They boarded the elevator and got off at the rooftop. It was just beginning to get dark but the glow of the Christmas lights was evident. They were stringed from thin poles on two sides of the roof. Underneath that, there was a small table filled with food – lasagna, chicken, pizza, salad, brownies, little cupcakes, drinks and a cooler that had a tub of ice cream in it. But in the middle of it all was a round Quidditch-themed birthday cake with a number two-shaped candle on it. Hermione enchanted the Quidditch player so that it flew around the lighted candle.

Hermione's parents were already there, standing beside the buffet table. Hermione went over and took the cake and placed it on top of a table set up in front of it. Everyone went to the table. Draco positioned Erin near the cake. Mrs. Granger began to sing "Happy Birthday" and soon enough everybody had joined in, even Draco. Erin looked at them one by one wearing a big smile. At the end, Hermione told him, "Blow the candle," and pointed to the candle.

After a few tries, the candle finally blew out. Everyone clapped for him. "Present time," chimed Mrs. Granger. "We all chipped in for this. Hermione thought he would love it." Mr. Granger took a package from the side of the buffet table and placed it on top of the table in front of Erin. It was about two feet long. He tore the wrapping paper slowly then Draco went in to help. Draco opened the box for him.

Inside laid a small broomstick perfect for little kids like Erin. "It's good to start him off early," Hermione said. "So he can be as good as his brother."

Hermione and Draco laughed. Mr. and Mrs. Granger kept silent as they were not well-oriented on what they were referring to.

"Thank you," he said.

"Thank you," Erin repeated.

"You're very welcome," Hermione told him, tapping his little nose.

"The food's waiting," Mr. Granger said. They got their share of food and ate together at the table. Erin was situated between Draco and Hermione and they took turns feeding him. "Mmm," Hermione sounded after feeding him a piece of chicken. He turned to Draco. "Have you finished the letter?"

"Mailed it before coming here," he answered. "I'm expecting a reply next week."

"Anyway, what'd you get Erin?" she asked.

"I couldn't afford to buy him anything so I gave him this." He took out a small album from Erin's little bag. Hermione flipped through it. It was a photo album of possibly every picture Draco took of him with small messages under each one. "I know he doesn't understand all of it now but I think he'll appreciate it in the future."

"That he will," she whispered, going through page after page. Hermione stopped longer at one page in particular. The pictures were taken recently, as in yesterday. It was of them and Erin in the mismatched clothes.

The message underneath her and Erin's photo read:

_This girl is Hermione Granger. She's very smart, nice and fun. I like her and you do too. She's our friend._

She smiled down at the words. She flipped to the next pages and they were blank. "I'll probably keep adding more," he mentioned.

She smiled at him and returned it. "Thanks." She meant this both for letting her see it and for the thoughtful description.

After finishing the dessert of ice cream, brownies and cupcakes, they all went to watch Erin go on his first broom ride. Draco kept a firm grip on Erin and the broom so he doesn't go zooming off into the distance and end up with nasty bruises. Draco guided him around the rooftop and Hermione got Draco's camera from Erin's backpack and took pictures.

The party ended soon after eight. After cleaning up, they all went inside to the Grangers' flat. Hermione entered her room. Draco stopped by the doorway. "It's okay, you can come in." Draco put Erin down on the floor and he raced to the bed to snuggle up in the cozy sheets. Hermione went and rubbed his belly. "Are you sleepy?" Erin yawned then closed his eyes. "Sleep tight," she whispered.

Draco was looking at a family picture. Hermione went behind him. He felt her presence. "I wish I have that," he said.

She walked around him to get a better look of the photo. "You may not have it now but I'm sure you will in the future. You'll meet that special girl then you'll get married then have kids..." She breathed deeply. The forced marriage slipped her mind for a moment. She had been thinking of something else and she wished she could take back everything she had said.

"Yes, I _shall_ have that," he said boldly.

* * *

Monday came. First day on the job. Draco came in early. At first, Mr. Fortescue was uneasy around him as he toured him in the back and explained how everything worked and how he liked things to be done. Draco rarely said anything and listened attentively. He had no difficulty at all and was a quick learner and soon, as the customers started pouring in, he was making Mr. Fortescue's most famous flavors as the owner manned the counter.

However, there was one such instance where Draco's presence was almost busted by a Gryffindor named Seamus Finnigan. Apparently, Mr. Fortescue, forgetting about Draco's supposed discretion, had pointed Seamus into the back where there was a toilet. He had downed two large milkshakes and rushed to ask where the toilet was. He burst into the back and Draco almost dropped a bowl of blueberries on the floor. He ran to the refrigerator and pretended to be looking for something. A couple of minutes passed and Seamus was back into the shop again. It was only then that Draco was able to breathe a sigh on relief.

* * *

Dumbledore's letter arrived on a Thursday morning at the ice cream shop. Draco phoned Hermione on his cellphone and asked her to come to the shop. He wanted her to be there when the letter was opened and the decision was found out.

She arrived with Erin after fifteen minutes. The shop wasn't opened yet but Uncle Florean allowed her to come in. Hermione and Draco sat hunched at a table in the back, Erin on Hermione's lap, looking curiously at the both of them. They continued to stare at the letter a while longer before Draco pushed it towards Hermione.

"Please open and read it. I can't," he told her. Draco was unnerved. A lot depended on this letter.

"Are you sure?" she asked. Draco nodded. "Okay," she said as she opened it and took out the folded parchment inside. She could easily distinguish the headmaster's handwriting on it.

She cleared her throat then read on. "Dear Mr. Draco Malfoy, After having considered your petition for a scholarship grant for your seventh year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, it is with great enthusiasm that we accepted your request." Hermione stopped. She looked up and Draco's smile read relief all over. She continued, "Professor Severus Snape and I have reviewed your grade transcript and it has surpassed the standards by which one is qualified for an academic scholarship.

"Your academic profile confirms your commitment to personal and education growth. We are confident that you will continue your high level of academic performance in the upcoming school year and we entrust that you will make a valuable contribution to the school's tradition of scholarship and service.

"The faculty, upon careful assessment of your current financial status, has also determined to give you a book allowance which will be used for the purchase of books, school supplies and other school-related materials. We are hopeful that this will aid in your educational experience.

"As for the other matter which you are requesting, I have also put great thought into it and have made the necessary arrangements. I shall allow it so long as I have your word.

"Congratulations and welcome to the new school year! Sincerely, Albus Dumbledore." Draco leaned back on his chair, brimming with happiness.

"What other matter?" she asked.

"I'll tell you at school."

"Why can't you tell me now?" she pushed.

"So you would have little to do about it."

"Hmph."

Hermione was looking inside the envelope again. She swore there was something else there. And there it was. Another letter, this time shorter, and a badge. Draco was attentive again as Hermione read the second letter. "Congratulations, Mr. Draco Malfoy! You have been named this year's Head Boy along with Ms. Hermione Granger as Head Girl. Kindly proceed to the Heads' compartment at the Hogwarts Express to meet with the prefects. Wear your Head Boy badge at all times."

Draco was now examining the Head Boy badge in his hands. It had the Hogwarts crest on it and beneath that, the words "Head Boy" are engraved. "Have you received your letter?"

"Yes. Just this morning at breakfast."

He thought for a while. "That's great, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"We'll be spending more time together," he answered with a smile.

* * *

So that's Chapter Six.

In Chapter Seven, they'll be returning to Hogwarts. I promise more fun and drama.

Read and Review.


End file.
